Lawmakers Form Caucuses on After-School Issues

A bipartisan group of lawmakers last week launched the Congressional Afterschool Caucuses in the hope of increasing federal funding for after-school programs. The group of six legislators includes Sens. Christopher J. Dodd, D-Conn., and John Ensign, R-Nev.

In conjunction with that announcement, a report on what children do during after-school hours was released by the Washington-based Afterschool Alliance, a nonprofit agency that promotes programs at the end of the school day.

The report says that 31 percent of the children in working families spend at least part of that time taking care of themselves.

“Working Families and Afterschool: A Special Report From America After 3 P.M.” was initially released last year, but this edition includes new analyses.